The President of Ecuador declares a state of emergency in the provinces over drug trafficking

A state of emergency to fight organized crime has been declared in three places; The decision includes a night curfew and the mobilization of the police and military

Reproduction / Facebook Guilhermo Lasso
In a televised address, Lasso said the measures would “bring the fight against criminals right into the area where they’re trying to hide”.

the President of Ecuador, Guillermo LassoShe declared a state of emergency in three provinces of the country to combat it drug trafficking. The establishment of the exceptional period includes the night curfew, the mobilization of 9,000 police and military personnel and will come into effect from midnight this Saturday 30th in the provinces of Guayas, Manabí and Esmeraldas, on the border with Colombia. In a televised address, Lasso said the measures “will bring the fight against criminals to the same area where they try to hide with their wares,” saying that “the streets will feel the weight of public violence.” The president’s decision comes amid escalating violence on Ecuador’s coast due to the presence of criminal groups, some even with links to cartels in Mexico and Colombia, according to Ecuadorian authorities.

*With EFE